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My views on Brexit

Thank you for the hundreds of e-mails I’ve had in recent weeks about Brexit, the draft Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration, the calls for a second referendum, the role of Parliament and MPs and many other related issues.

I have attached an open letter to constituents at the bottom of this page which sets out how I intend to vote on the agreement. I have also set out my views on a number of associated issues below, which I hope will be helpful.

Withdrawal Agreement

A copy of the proposed EU Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration can be found here.

The independent House of Commons Library analysis of the agreement can be found here.

I am supportive of this agreement for the reasons set out in my article here.

Second Referendum/People’s Vote

I do not support a second referendum or the People’s Vote campaign. My reasons why can be found here.

No Deal and the 'Malthouse Compromise'

I do not support leaving the EU on 29th March 2019 without a deal as this would severely impact on the economy, employers and the finances of households across the country and in my constituency. I pressed the Prime Minister to avoid this scenario here.

After the defeat of the Withdrawal Agreement in January it is clear that the Prime Minister must now secure an agreement which satisfies a majority of MPs in Parliament and can be agreed with the EU. On 29th January the House of Commons voted in favour of a motion which said that the agreement would be approved if the backstop protocol in it could be replaced with ‘alternative arrangements’. So, in order to find a workable solution, the Alternative Arrangements Working Group, of which I am a member, has been asked to assess the merits of the ‘Malthouse Compromise’. More information about this compromise can be found here.

I have written two articles about my support for the compromise which can be found here and here. It is important to note that the Government has to win a vote not just on the Withdrawal Agreement but also all the votes on the subsequent legislation needed to implement the Agreement.

The 'Malthouse Compromise' is clear that it does not prejudice the form of the future relationship between the UK and the EU which could follow the Norway model. The Norway Plus Group has put together a pamphlet setting out proposals for how Norway Plus would work and why it would ensure that we deliver on the result of the referendum whilst protecting the economic interests of those across the UK. A copy of this can be found here.

Treasury Select Committee

The House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, of which I am Chair, conducted hearings at the beginning of December into the economic impact of the Brexit withdrawal agreement and of the future frame work. This was based on analysis carried out by the Government, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority at the request of the Committee. Our report on this can be found here.

EU Citizen Settlement Scheme

Information for EU citizens in the UK on how to obtain settled status in the UK can be found here.

I have attached a letter I have recently received from the Minister for Immigration at the bottom of this page, which provides an update on the scheme as well as links to informative leaflets for EU citizens, community groups and local authorities.

Further Information

A full list of what I’ve said in the House of Commons in debates on Brexit (and other issues) can be found here.

The independent House of Commons Library has produced a number of research documents covering all aspects of Brexit. These can be found here.